Wildlifeof China
Asian Elephant
Elephants, Tapir & Rhinos
Photo: Eamon Corbett · CC BY 4.0
Elephas maximus
Basic stats
Diet
Grasses, leaves, bark, roots, fruit and other vegetation
Habitat
Grasslands, tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and scrub forests
Range
Discontinuous populations across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including southern China
Litter size
Usually 1 calf
Size
550–640cm body length
Weight
2,000–6,000kg
The Asian elephant is Asia's largest living land animal. It has grey, sparsely haired skin, a high-domed head, relatively small rounded ears and a single finger-like projection at the end of its trunk. Males are substantially larger than females and generally carry tusks. Adults measure 550–640cm in body length, with males standing 240–300cm tall and females 195–240cm. (Animal Diversity Web)
Asian elephants occupy grasslands, evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and scrub from sea level to around 3,000m. Their surviving range is fragmented across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia; the species historically reached north to the Yangtze River in China. The dexterous trunk gathers many kinds of plant food, while family groups led by females travel in response to available forage and water. (Animal Diversity Web)
Quick answers
- What does the Asian Elephant eat?
- Grasses, leaves, bark, roots, fruit and other vegetation
- What habitat does the Asian Elephant live in?
- Grasslands, tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and scrub forests
- Where is the Asian Elephant found?
- Discontinuous populations across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, including southern China
- What is the litter size of the Asian Elephant?
- Usually 1 calf
- How big is the Asian Elephant?
- 550–640cm body length
- How much does the Asian Elephant weigh?
- 2,000–6,000kg